(Two stars for the first 60-ish percent and three stars for the last 40-ish percent.)

Not my favorite Nicholas Sparks book. I was relatively bored for about half of it. Maybe more. But it did eventually pick up and I enjoyed the wrap-up.

I loved Garrett's dad most of all, I think. He was so sweet. I was so sad for him when Theresa missed the Thanksgiving meal he had put so much love and effort into preparing.

I remember getting pissed at Theresa at one point because she was upset with Garret for still being in love with his deceased wife when that's what attracted her to him in the first place... but then her friend called her out on it, so I felt better. Haha.

There was also a definite overuse of the phrase "something tightened in his/her stomach". And when it came time for the inevitable sex scene, I almost scoffed openly (while in line at an amusement park) at the line "They had both waited too long for this moment..." They met, like, 3 days ago. Please.

It did get me thinking about the struggles of dating a widower. I imagine I'd be too insecure. Always thinking "But if he could have her back, he would..." Which then makes me think of Prince Henry's ramblings about love in Ever After:

...Let's say God puts two people on Earth and they are lucky enough to find one another. But one of them gets hit by lightning. Well then what? Is that it? Or, perchance, you meet someone new and marry all over again. Is that the lady you're supposed to be with or was it the first? And if so, when the two of them were walking side by side were they both the one for you and you just happened to meet the first one first or, was the second one supposed to be first? And is everything just chance or are some things meant to be?